NEWBERG, Ore. – Taking advantage of a costly George Fox University error with two outs in the 7th inning, the eighth-ranked Linfield College Wildcats scored six unearned runs for a stunning 8-6 win over the upset-minded Bruins in the second game of a Northwest Conference softball doubleheader Sunday afternoon here at Morse Field.

In the opener, the Wildcats scored multiple runs in each of the first four innings and went on to a 12-3 win over the Bruins in a game that that was shortened to five innings due to the 'eight-run mercy' rule but was plagued with rain delays in the first and fourth innings totaling 54 minutes.

George Fox, in dropping all four games of the Linfield series, fell to 15-21 overall and 12-12 in the conference, tied for fourth in the league standings with Pacific University.  First-place Linfield improved to 28-5 overall and 20-2 in the NWC as the 'Cats extended their winning streak to 11 in a row.

Game 1 – Linfield 12, George Fox 3

Linfield starter Karina Paavola (16-2) limited George Fox to three hits in four innings of work in the first game, striking out five but also walking five, and benefited from a dozen hits and runs by her offense. 

The Wildcats scored four runs in the 1st in off Bruin lefty Rachel Fielder (4-7) in her only inning of work.  Grace Middlestadt singled and Karleigh Prestianni and Lisa Yamamoto were both hit by pitches, filling the bases with one out.  Ashley Garcia singled in two runs, but Yamamoto was thrown out trying to reach third.  Erin Carson singled in Garcia, and Haylie Watson's single plated Carson.

A double by Prestianni and Yamamoto's ninth home run of the season added two more runs in the 2nd off reliever Amanda Woods, who pitched the final four innings for the Bruins, and the Wildcats added three runs each in the 3rd and 4th innings.  All three runs in the 3rd were unearned, with Garcia contributing a two-run single.  Watson hit a solo home run, her seventh, to lead off the 4th, and Lisa Bennett and Prestianni had RBI singles later in the frame.

George Fox got a run in the 1st on a walk to Kat Hylton, a bunt single by Nicole Renteria, a passed ball, a walk to Bethany Chriss, and Jenna Kirk's force out grounder that scored Hylton.  Kirk slugged her third home run of the year following a walk to Chriss in the 3rd.

Middlestadt, Prestianni, Garcia and Watson each had two hits for the Wildcats.  The Bruins had four hits in all, including one off Linfield reliever Maddy Dunn, with Kirk driving in all three George Fox runs.

Game 2 – Linfield 8, George Fox 6

In the second game, the Bruins used a pair of three-run innings to take a 6-2 lead after three frames.  In the 1st, Hylton walked, Renteria bunted for a hit, and after a wild pickoff throw to first by catcher McKenna Spieth moved both runners up, Kayla Anderson lined a triple to left off the glove of a diving Megan Wallo to score two.  Kirk's sacrifice fly to right scored Anderson.

In the 3rd, Renteria reached on a one-out fielding error by shortstop Katy Brosig, Anderson doubled, and Chriss walked to load the bases.  Kirk's grounder to short was thrown home too late by Brosig to get anyone, and Woods followed with a two-run single to left.

The Wildcats picked up two unearned runs in the 2nd.  Carson singled to lead off and advanced to third on a wild pitch and a deep fly to center by Watson.  Brosig was safe at first when her soft popup behind the mound was dropped by Anderson at short, and she then stole second.  Middelstadt's liner to left was dropped by Renteria for an error, allowing both Carson and Brosig to score.

George Fox hurler Erin Hento (4-5) took a five-hitter and a four-run lead into the 7th, and quickly retired Brosig and Spieth on grounders to short.  Middelstadt walked on a 3-2 count and Wallo lined a single to left off the glove of a leaping Chriss at third to keep the Wildcats alive.  Prestianni hit a sharp grounder back to the mound which was knocked down by Hento, but her throw to first sailed well over the head of Kirk at first as Middelstadt scored and the other two wound up at second and third.  Given new life, Yamamoto scorched her 10th home run to center to tie the game, and Carson followed a Garcia single with her first home run of the season to left-center to give the Wildcats their first lead of the game.

In the last of the 7th, southpaw Montana McNealy (1-1), who had taken over for Linfield starter Shelby VandeBergh in the 3rd inning, retied the first two Bruins on grounders before Woods singled up the middle to bring the tying run to the plate.  McNealy fanned Fielder on three pitches, however, to seal the Wildcats' surprising win.

McNealy threw 4.2 innings of two-hit shutout ball, striking out seven while walking three.  Hento went 6.2 innings for the Bruins, scattering nine hits with two strikeouts and one walk.  All eight of the runs she allowed were unearned.

Renteria, Anderson and Woods had two hits apiece, which were all the hits the Bruins got.  Yamamoto, Garcia and Carson had two hits each out of the Wildcats' total of nine.

NEXT: George Fox, still hopeful of making the four-team NWC Tournament, ends the regular season with a four-game series at third-place Whitworth University next Saturday and Sunday, with 12:00 noon doubleheaders on both days ... Linfield hosts Willamette University Wednesday for two at 12:00 noon, with a chance to sew up the conference crown if the 'Cats sweep.